TRUMP: The dollar is 'getting too strong'

President Donald Trump says the dollar “is getting too strong,” repeating his opinion that the currency makes American products less competitive globally.

“I think our dollar is getting too strong, and partially that’s my fault because people have confidence in me,” Trump told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Wednesday. The dollar jumped to a 13-year high after the November election but has since given back some of the gains.

Trump added that the strong dollar would “hurt ultimately.”

In 2015, the strong dollar dealt a blow to US manufacturers when it surged as investors expected interest rates to rise.

Trump also told the WSJ that the US won’t label China a currency manipulator. During his campaign, Trump had promised he would do so on day one of his presidency. He said he made the reversal because China stopped devaluing its currency.

The US dollar index, which measures it against a basket of other major currencies, slid on Trump’s remarks about its strength. It is down 0.35% at 100.28 as at 3:20 p.m. ET.